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This paper explores the impact of the political hierarchies of cities in China from different perspectives. First, we examine the economic disparities between prefectural cities and municipalities. Furthermore, this paper draws upon a quasi‐ experiment to analyze the impact of upgrading Chongqing to a municipality in 1997 using the synthetic control method. The city‐upgrading policy significantly increased Chongqing's gross domestic product (GDP) in the following 4 years. Finally, we find that the policy increased GDP in treated cities within 1200 km of Chongqing by about 10%–13% relative to the control cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its invaluable contribution to the field of comparative economics, the socialist calculation debate has focused on the narrow topic of the impossibility of the rational economic calculation under socialism. The literature on new institutional economics suggests that economic development is determined by economic and political institutions which are far more complex than the issue of economic calculation. To bridge the gap between the calculation debate and new institutional economics, this paper utilizes the historical case studies of Perestroika and Deng's China to demonstrate relationship between state capacity and economic calculation. We argue that rational economic calculation requires the state's institutional ability to make a credible commitment to constraints inhibiting public predation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the Xingke Tiben, this paper assesses the long‐run economic development of China, by constructing a new estimate of male occupational structure during 1734–1898 by sector, sub‐sector pattern, and region. After assessing the source's biases, using this new empirical basis, this paper demonstrates that the national male occupational structure was nearly identical in 1761–70, 1821–30, and 1881–90, suggesting a long‐lasting structural stasis of the national economy, allowing for fluctuations between benchmark dates. Within agriculture, substantial regional differences in labour organisation are revealed. Three distinct models are found: the Northern Regions model features a high usage of wage labour, the Yangtze Valley model presents a high level of tenancy development, and the Southern Regions model displays the highest share of landowners. All three models saw increasing use of wage labour in 1761–1890 and shrinking landownership in 1821–90. At the regional level, the long‐run estimate for Lower Yangtze suggests that the region as a whole stagnated throughout the entire period, but the overall structural stasis hides dynamic, contrasting long‐run economic change between the region's core and peripheral areas. Comparative analysis with England further suggests that the timing of the Great Divergence between China and England took place before 1734, even in the context of the regional difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's extensive economic growth has been accompanied with high levels of pollution, and excessive energy consumption has brought serious pollution problems. The use of financial resources to regulate green production modes and encourage high‐quality economic development has become a major focus in academia. At the same time, growth enterprise market (GEM) enterprises, which mainly operate in technology‐intensive industries, are assumed to have a simulating effect on regional innovation. Therefore, this paper utilizes the capital return differences of 4437 listed companies and 920 GEM companies based in 30 provinces of China from 2008 to 2018 to quantitatively analyze the levels of financial misallocation. With two‐stage regression method, the direct effect of financial misallocation on regional green total factor energy efficiency (GTFEE) and the indirect impact observed when taking regional innovation as an intermediary variable are discussed. Furthermore, dynamic threshold panel regression and heterogeneity analysis are used to verify the above nonlinear relationship. The empirical findings indicate that financial misallocation enhances innovation capability and further restrains GTFEE. With an improved degree of marketization and environmental regulation, the inhibitory effect of financial misallocation on GTFEE is more significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the path to carbon neutrality, the journey to net‐zero emissions in the industry is achievable, and the green development of industrial parks is crucial for a smooth transition. We examined a sample of 171 green industrial parks certified by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Using the Tapio decoupling model, we conducted decoupling analyses at both the national and regional scales of their economic growth and environmental conservation for three consecutive years. Spatial heterogeneity is found in carbon‐economy decoupling states and carbon‐pollutant synergy effects. Industrial parks in the east of China present better carbon‐economy decoupling states and carbon‐pollutant synergy effects than the other regions. The CO2 emissions determinants were explored by using the STIRPAT model. The variable industrial value‐added per capita, which is representative of economic growth, presents a positive and significant effect on emissions; the energy output and the proportion of high‐tech industries present a negative effect. However, after dividing the parks into groups by their leading industries, the influence of the variables started to show a power discrepancy. The heterogeneity analysis of this study can provide a basis for developing diversified strategies for Chinese industrial parks under the net‐zero emission goal. Plain Language Summary: This paper evaluated the economic development and environmental impacts of the 171 green industrial parks certified by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of China, using data and materials that were inventoried and summarized for the first time. The relationship of economic growth and CO2 emissions and other major pollutants was examined using the Tapio decoupling model, and the results suggest strong decoupling states for most of the cases, and a significant carbon‐pollution synergy effect. Further regression analysis indicated that industrial output and green and high‐tech industries are significant drivers of decoupling. The discoveries will guide future actions and policies toward sustainable development for the industrial parks of China. Key Points: Economic growth and environmental impacts are strongly decoupled for most of the studied green industrial parksA significant carbon‐pollution synergy effect is found in the green industrial parksIndustrial output and green and high‐tech industries are significant drivers of CO2 emissions but show discrepancy in different industries [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reform of power spot market in China provides a new profit mode, determining energy trading strategy based on the power spot prices for distributed energy storages. However, individually accessing every distributed energy storage to the dispatch centre results in a high cost and low efficiency, which needs to be improved by connecting through the aggregator. To this end, this paper proposes a regulation mode and strategy for distributed energy storages participating in energy trading through aggregation. First, the optimal centres of distributed energy storages are searched as the aggregation centres according to the electrical distance distributed by the energy storage, and the model of each distributed energy storage aggregation group is established. On this basis, the conditional value at risk (CVaR) method is introduced to quantify the income risk brought by the fluctuation of power spot prices, following with the optimization model for day‐ahead stage and real‐time stage. Finally, case studies under multiple scenarios of power spot market verify that the regulation mode and strategy can effectively guarantee the economic profits of distributed energy storages by setting aggregation groups and reasonable risk preference coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the determinants and the time pattern of the subjective well-being of private business owners. We find that both personal and enterprise-level factors have a significant influence on subjective status of private business owners. Meanwhile, we find supportive evidence of Easterlin paradox among Chinese private entrepreneurs: both personal income and operating revenue enhance subjective status in a certain period, but subjective status declines as time goes by, even as incomes continue to rise. A further Oaxaca--Blinder decomposition suggests that the competition and provincial factors are the keys to explaining the paradox. Finally, we try to verify the positive effect of political connection on entrepreneurs' subjective status to provide some helpful advice for the government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering China's goal of carbon neutrality, understanding the influence path and dynamic correlation between electricity consumption and relevant factors is essential for formulating a reasonable electricity development strategy and promoting high‐quality socio‐economic development. Based on panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2019, this study adopts the panel VAR model for research, with four notable findings. (1) Economic development, urbanization, and the urban–rural income gap directly affect electricity consumption. Industrial structure upgrading can affect electricity consumption through economic development and urbanization. Electricity consumption only directly affects economic development, whereas the effect on the other three variables could be transmitted through economic development. (2) Electricity consumption first inhibits and then promotes industrial structure upgrading, and it inhibits the urban–rural income gap. (3) Industrial structure upgrading first promotes and then inhibits electricity consumption. The urban–rural income gap inhibits electricity consumption. (4) Industrial structure upgrading and the widening income gap might hinder economic development through the adverse effect on electricity consumption. Based on these findings, several policy suggestions are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal power is the main source of China's electricity supply. Improving total‐factor generation performance (TFGP) is essential for the development of this industry in the current deteriorating operating environment. This study adopts the meta‐frontier nonradial direction distance function approach to measure the static and dynamic TFGPs of the thermal power industry in China's 30 provinces in 2011–2019, and then discusses the regional distribution characteristics and the impact factors using spatial econometric model and Tobit regression method, respectively. Empirical results show that: (I) The TFGPs in central and west China are relatively close, but both are remarkably lower than that in east China. (II) The TFGPs in central and west China have generally remained stable since 2011, whereas that in west China has declined mainly because this region is more susceptible to the situation of electricity supply‐demand. (III) A significant spatial positive correlation exists among provincial TFGPs. High TFGP provinces are mostly in the eastern seaboard region and low TFGP provinces are in southwest China. (IV) Economic development, power structure, fuel prices, and environmental regulation have positive impacts on China's TFGP, while the impacts of technological innovation and energy endowment are not significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two catastrophic extreme precipitation events in July 2021 and August 1975 caused tremendous damages and deaths in Henan, one of the most populated provinces in China. Revealing the relationship between large‐scale circulation patterns and precipitation extremes is vital for understanding the physical mechanisms and providing potential value for improving prediction and hence reducing impacts. Here, nine large‐scale circulation patterns are identified for July–August using the self‐organizing map. We find daily precipitation extremes under the fifth pattern (P5), characterized with the strongest easterly wind anomalies in Henan, feature the highest frequency and the largest intensity. Seven out of total 11 days in the two catastrophic extreme precipitation events belong to P5, and the top two maximum hourly precipitation extremes over continental China occurred under P5. The larger intensity of precipitation extremes is attributed to the dynamical contribution, suggesting more‐intense precipitation extremes under P5 are largely dominated by stronger ascending motions. Plain Language Summary: Henan is one of the most populated provinces in China. Two catastrophic extreme precipitation events in July 2021 and August 1975 caused devastating catastrophes, such as flooding and urban waterlogging, which resulted in widespread impacts on agricultural production, human livelihood, and economic development. We used a clustering method called self‐organizing map to link large‐scale circulation patterns with daily precipitation extremes in Henan Province. Our results show that the fifth pattern (P5), associated with the strongest easterly wind anomalies over Henan Province, is most conducive to extreme rainfall. Precipitation extremes under P5 exhibit the highest occurrence frequency and the largest mean intensity. Seven out of total 11 days for the two catastrophic extreme precipitation events belong to P5, while the top two maximum hourly precipitation extremes over continental China occurred under P5. The larger mean intensity of precipitation extremes under P5 is mainly caused by strong ascending motions. This work provides important implications for understanding the physical mechanisms and also providing potential value for the forecasting of precipitation extremes in Henan Province. Key Points: The circulation pattern (P5) most conducive to the occurrence of daily precipitation extremes is identified using self‐organizing mapSeven out of total 11 days in the "21·7" and "75·8" catastrophic extreme precipitation events belong to P5 patternThe dynamical processes, that is, the stronger ascending motions, dominate the more‐intense precipitation extremes in P5 pattern [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]